In the past, Braxton Miller could be as difficult for reporters to tackle as he was for opposing players.

The reticent Ohio State quarterback sometimes responded to innocuous questions about how he played as if he were a prisoner being interrogated, answering in short, clipped sentences that were unnecessarily guarded.

No deception was intended. His hesitancy stemmed more from his introverted personality than a desire to avoid questions, which could be more of a problem for the Buckeyes than for members of the media. Quarterbacks are expected to provide leadership, and the team can’t afford to have his advice and criticism locked up inside him, tucked safely away from human ears and eyes.

The plan has always been to tap into that leadership vein, and based on what coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman said yesterday, it seems to be working.

“I’ve got to be careful because I just glow on him,” Meyer said. “I love Braxton Miller. Him and Tom Herman have something really special going right now. You can see it on the field. You can see his maturity.

“You see the RG3s, the Andrew Lucks, the way they handle it. Every person watches the quarterback. I call it the most unique position in sports. You can be an introvert, but you have to be able to lead. I don’t want to give him an ‘A’ yet, but he’s pushing ‘A’ work. I saw it yesterday. The offense really struggled early in the scrimmage, and he was almost a coach in there.”

The transition hasn’t come easily. Miller is an incredible athletic talent, but bringing out his leadership ability is much harder.

“I think he is and was and still is and will continue to be a tough nut to crack,” Herman said. “He’s very guarded, as has been well-documented. He’s a very introverted person, and that’s not bad. … None of that is negative, but it lends itself to a much tougher job for a guy like me to come in and say, ‘Hey, since high school I’m your fourth offensive coordinator in five years, or third in four years or whatever the case may be, and oh, by the way, you’ve got to trust me 100 percent.’“It takes time, and trust is earned, it’s not just given.”

All of this is especially interesting given the slow deflation of Johnny Football, Texas A&M’s problem-plagued Johnny Manziel — which is turning Miller into the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy — and the high expectations for Miller’s team, No. 2 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll.

If Miller has improved as much on the field as Meyer has said, an accompanying step as a leader could complete the package.

“I don’t know that he is ever going to be a Tim Tebow or a Drew Brees, just a yell-at-you-nonstop and fire-up-the-troops and let’s go,” Herman said. “But I think that he certainly has come out of his shell. I think the biggest (reason) why we didn’t see it last year was the kid is so self-conscious that he said, ‘I don’t have my own house in order, how can I expect to impose my leadership on my teammates when my own house isn’t in order?’“He has become a better quarterback, which allows him to become a better leader.”

Miller was just about the last player to appear for interviews on media day yesterday, presumably a sign that the shy side of him still sometimes wins out. But when he finally showed, he seemed more relaxed and more responsive to questions than in the past, smiling and handling reporters as if they were opponents trying to confuse him with a new defense.

A lot of people are saying a lot of good things about you. How do you handle it all?

“Just keep it humble, levelheaded and keep out of the limelight,” he said, smiling.

Isn’t that difficult to do?

He pondered it for a few seconds. “No, I don’t think so.”

But you’re surrounded by 100 people …

Miller grinned. “You all are my friends, though,” he said. “We’re all good, so I’ll just be humble and just go about my day. (I’m) just a normal guy, outside of football.”

If we’re reading the signs right, “inside of football” he could be scary.